ITV has commissioned a modern-day retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma set in contemporary Delhi, based on the forthcoming novel from The Smoke Is Rising author Mahesh Rao.
Polite Society tells the story of Ania, the daughter of a wealthy Indian family who aspires to match-make for her friends and family, only to find herself caught up in an unforeseen scandal and an unexpected match of her own.
Pairing stiletto-sharp observation and social comedy with moments of true tenderness, the novel travels through the mansions of India’s elite and celebrates the many routes to happiness.
The series will be produced by Tomorrow Studios, a partnership between Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios and will mark the firm’s first mixed-language series.
“We are thrilled to be adapting ‘Polite Society’ in our continued quest to find the most compelling characters and ways to tell their stories for a global TV audience,” said Adelstein.
“Mahesh’s novel strikes that rare balance of telling a wholly authentic story, while also feeling universally relatable.”
Rao added: “I’m excited to see my written words leap off the page and onto the television screen with Tomorrow Studios and its partnership with ITV Studios bringing this story to an audience worldwide.”
